EXCLUSIVE: Navy rescue ship breaks down due to too many migrants

HMS Bulwark, the Royal Navy vessel spearheading a migrant rescue mission in the Mediterranean, was undergoing emergency repairs last night after the strain of carrying thousands of migrants took its toll.

The 19,000-tonne vessel, the Royal Navy’s flagship, was understood to have reported problems with its evaporators, which turn seawater into drinking water.

Navy chiefs ordered a ten-strong team, including contractors from Babcock Defence, to fly out to assist and co-ordinate the work, which sources say is vital to the operational effectiveness of the ship.

A Royal Navy source told the Sunday Express: “Warships usually have two evaporating systems onboard which produce fresh water for the ship’s company. Salt water is used to flush toilets and clean decks, while fresh water is used for showering, cooking and drinking.

“Those evaporator systems have come under immense strain with the volume of refugees onboard in recent weeks."

It comes as Navy chiefs and Whitehall ministers were last night pitched in a battle over the future of Britain’s contribution to Europe’s Mediterranean migrant crisis.

The row centres on suggestions by commanders at Permanent Joint Headquarters that HMS Ocean, capable of carrying 18 helicopters, should replace HMS Bulwark when she is retired from the operation next month.

Evaporator systems have come under immense strain with the volume of refugees onboard in recent weeks

Royal Navy source

According to high-ranking Royal Navy sources, commanders have urged the Ministry of Defence to “continue to demonstrate a show of force” while Brussels prevaricates over its naval contribution.

They say this is the only way to ensure that proposals for a multinational naval blockade of Libya come to fruition.

HMS Ocean, currently in the Baltic, could “easily” be redirected to the operations off Libya’s coast ahead of wargames in September, which would also take place in the Mediterranean.

GETTY

HMS Bulwark is the Royal Navy's flagship vessel

But Whitehall sources indicated that deploying HMS Ocean would “send the wrong message” to Europe, which must do its bit.

Fundamentally, however, the concern is that Operation Weald has already cost the Treasury more than £6m over the last ten weeks, and now military commanders are being put under pressure to maintain the same capability to rescue migrants with reduced resources.

The Ministry of Defence refused to be drawn on the subject last night, though a source confirmed there were “no plans” to deploy HMS Ocean.

"MoD is fixated with cost. Bulwark was deployed for what was supposed to be a costed short series of exercises after anniversary celebrations in Turkey,” said a senior Royal Navy source last night.

"Now we are running helicopters, and feeding thousands of refugees and a crew who would normally be back in base.

"There are a host other costs implications in respect of communications, air time and force protection to ensure that the ship is kept safe, and this is a concern,

"However, Bulwark is due back soon and we need a command vessel to run this operation sensibly.

"We must either commit fully, replacing her with a similar vessel that has the same capability, that is HMS Ocean, or we may as well pull out of the mission altogether and make the accountants happy.”

David Cameron will be urging EU leaders to take a more robust stance on the issue when he attends part two of a special EU summit at the end of the month. One plan, revealed by te Sunday Express last month, is to impose a naval blockade

But last night Ukip leader Nigel Farage warned that the meeting would be overshadows by problems with Greece,

“It is too late for the rest of Europe,” he said last night.

GETTY

HMS Ocean could 'easily' be redirected to help rescue migrants from Africa

“Jean Claude Juncker has now said that even extreme poverty should be considered reason to grant these migrants asylum.

"That means granting EU citizenship to each of the 500,000 migrants waiting to come to Europe. And once they have a passport, there is nothing to prevent them from making their way to the UK.

“Until Brussels decides to take firmer action against the people traffickers who are making profit our of misery, the only way to disincentivise migrants from embarking on their difficult and perilous journeys is to do what Australia is doing, and launch a full-scale media campaign in countries such as Somalia, Eritrea and even Nigeria making it clear that there will be no home for these migrants here.“

An MoD spokesman confirmed that she was scheduled to undergo routine maintenance this weekend, and any additional problems would be addressed while at port.